Wang Fangyi's mother was actually here too, but she had never dared to show her face before. Naturally, she couldn't hide now, so she came over to pay her respects to Princess Tong'an.
Princess Tong'an was very unhappy with this daughter-in-law. Even at this time, she did not hide her emotion and said lightly:
"You have given birth to a good son. Since ancient times, mothers have been more valuable than sons. I will give Fang Yi this face. You can move back here in the future."
"Thank you, mother." The queen mother did not feel aggrieved for herself. She was only happy that her son was allowed to go home again because of his promising career. She was also very grateful to Princess Tong'an.
"Clean up the courtyard where Renbiao lived before, and then tidy up the side courtyard for Xiaolang to live in." Princess Tong'an then ordered the housekeeper to prepare a residence and provide the necessary daily necessities.
After all these arrangements were made, she got up and went back to the backyard as if she didn't want to see the Queen Mother.
She is also a Buddhist, and there is a special Buddhist temple in the backyard for her to chant sutras. Usually when she is worried, she will come here to seek spiritual comfort, and today is no exception.
The housekeeper, the princess's family minister, was her confidant. He guessed what she was thinking and asked, "Madam, do you really want them to come back?"
Princess Tong'an sighed and said: "No matter how noble my status is, I will always be the wife of the Wang family. You have seen what happened today. If you don't want it to happen again, you must let him come back."
The family leader said worriedly: "But...will they be resentful?"
Princess Tong'an sneered and said: "Do you really think that the eldest princess like me is made of clay? It's fine if they stick to their duties, but if they dare to have any evil thoughts, I will make them live and die."
Then he warned: "Go on, if you let me know who dares to cause trouble and alienate our ancestors and grandchildren, don't blame me for being disrespectful of master and servant."
The family leader shuddered and said quickly: "Well, I will take good care of the people below."
…
On the other side, Wang Fangyi and her son finally settled down after a lot of tidying up. The Queen Mother moved into the small courtyard where she lived before, while Wang Fangyi moved into the side courtyard where Shao Langjun lived.
The Queen Mother said with emotion: "I never thought I would be able to come back here in my lifetime."
What Wang Fangyi could say was, "Grandma is just being deceived for a moment. When she wakes up, she will definitely let us come back."
The Queen Mother also knew that it was not good to say anything, as if something wrong were to reach Princess Tong'an's ears, it would cause trouble.
Besides, she was very satisfied to be allowed to come back, so she said: "Yes, you must honor your grandmother well in the future and don't hurt her heart."
Wang Fangyi said: "I will."
Then he told what happened today again, and the Queen Mother finally knew why the old lady changed her mind and allowed them to come back.
He was happy for his son's outstanding performance, but also worried: "Now the court and the nobles are in tit-for-tat. You are from the Wang family in Taiyuan, so you need to be careful."
Wang Fangyi said: "Don't worry, I know what to do."
How can the Queen Mother rest assured and said worriedly: "Hey, I don't know if it is a blessing or a curse to come back this time. If the clan comes to find you to inquire about the court's movements, what should you do?"
Ignoring it means severing oneself from the clan, and asking about it means betraying the court. It's a dilemma.
Wang Fangyi was not worried, but said: "My grandmother seems to want to send my cousin to the East Palace as a concubine."
(There was a mistake before. Queen Wang is Wang Fangyi’s cousin, not her cousin.)
The Queen Mother was stunned for a moment and said quickly: "Really? Tell me the specific situation."
Wang Fangyi repeated Chen Jingke's words before leaving and Princess Tong'an's words afterward.
After hearing this, the Queen Mother was overjoyed and said: "Mom is so clever. This is a wonderful move. If this can be done, your career will be much smoother."
If his cousin really becomes the crown prince's concubine, there is no need to consider the issue of siding with her, and she will naturally side with the imperial court.
As for the family, now that the noble clan is no longer able to protect itself, taking the initiative to separate can be regarded as preserving a glimmer of hope for the family's rise.
You can't put your eggs in one basket, right?
What's more, he has never received any favor from his family since he was a child. After being driven out to live in the countryside for so many years, his family has ignored him.
This makes it difficult for him to have feelings for a family thousands of miles away.
Wang Fangyi nodded and said: "Well, it's just that the saint is very unhappy with the nobles. I don't know if this can be done."
The Queen Mother smiled and said: "Your grandmother still has some respect, and judging from the tone of Chen Zhenren's tone, he also supports this matter."
"That's Zixiaoguan Chen Zhenren. If he is willing to work hard for this, there is a high probability that he can succeed. Didn't he give you a name card? Find more opportunities to contact him and make sure to facilitate this matter."
Wang Fangyi said: "I will go to Zixiao Temple to visit you tomorrow."
…
Afterwards, he went to the backyard to greet Princess Tongan and reported everything he had settled in.
The old lady was very satisfied with his attitude, so she said a few more words, urging him to make more friends with the rich and powerful in the capital, and warning him not to have any ambiguity with the nobles.
"Especially Chen Zhenren of Zixiaoguan is deeply loved by saints and empresses. He is the consort of Princess Jinyang. Going in and out of the palace is like going in and out of his own home."
"The people who come and go are all children of powerful people, and they are very close to the prince. You should spend more time with him. If he is willing to say a few nice words for you in front of the saint, he can save you ten years of hard work."
Wang Fangyi said respectfully: "Yes, my grandson is preparing to visit him tomorrow."
Princess Tong'an said a few more words, and then wrote a letter to Wang Renyou, his cousin, in front of him.
The content was very simple, she just wanted to find a matchmaker for her grandniece and go to the East Palace to be the prince's concubine. She didn't say much else. She believed that Wang Renyou knew how to choose.
Handing the written letter to Wang Fangyi, she warned: "Send a reliable person to give it to your cousin."
Wang Fangyi took the letter solemnly and said: "Grandma, don't worry, I will deliver the letter to my cousin as soon as possible."
…
Li Zheng Palace.
After Li Shimin read the information in his hand, he said: "It's a good thing that my aunt finally figured it out."
The eldest grandson Wugao smiled and said: "Wang Fangyi is from the Wang family in Taiyuan, so aren't you worried about him cheating on you?"
Li Shimin said disdainfully: "The nobles are just dead bones in the grave. I believe he will make the right choice. And..."
He presented the information in his hand and said, "Look at the last few words between aunt and Jing Ke, about sending his cousin to the East Palace as a concubine. The meaning couldn't be more obvious."
Changsun Wugou said unhappily: "Jing Ke, that stinky boy, has learned these evil ways instead of learning. Now he has learned how to give Cheng Qian a woman. Looking back, I will teach him a lesson."
Li Shimin smiled and said: "You are wrong. He stuffed women into the East Palace not to please Cheng Qian, but to please Wang Fangyi."
Changsun Wugou frowned and said: "He is so sure that Wang Fangyi will be successful, and he wants Cheng Qian to win him over through marriage? This is simply nonsense, don't agree to him."
Li Shimin said: "No, on the contrary, we not only want Miss Wang to enter the East Palace, but also make her a concubine."
Changsun Wugou was puzzled at first, but after thinking about it for a while, he suddenly realized: "Are you trying to split up the noble clan through this move?"
Li Shimin nodded and said: "Yes, the gentry is so intertwined that uprooting it will seriously damage the vitality of the imperial court."
"The best way is to attack their main line so that they can no longer fight against the imperial court, and at the same time win over their branches for my use."
"Originally, I was still thinking about how to do it, but Jing Ke reminded me that it would be enough to let Cheng Qian take a female from the noble clan as his concubine."
Changsun Wugou said: "Will they do as you wish?"
Li Shimin said domineeringly: "Their unwillingness means that the pressure from the court is not strong enough. As long as the pressure is strong enough, some people will definitely grasp at this life-saving straw."
Changsun Wugou still said worriedly: "What if Cheng Qian is influenced by them?"
Li Shimin smiled and said: "Why are you so unsure of your son? Cheng Qian is not a person without his own opinion."
Changsun Wugou had no choice but to accept this matter.
What she is really worried about is the separation between father and son. Once the branch of the noble clan moves closer to the East Palace, Li Chengqian's strength will greatly increase.
Will Li Shimin have other ideas by then? Will Li Chengqian have thoughts that he shouldn't have?
But she certainly cannot object to this matter for this reason.
If this plan succeeds, it will be a good thing for the court and can better solve the problem of the gentry.
It is also a good thing for Li Chengqian. By increasing the strength of the East Palace, the crown prince's position will be more stable, and there will be someone available for him to ascend the throne in the future.
All she can do is act as a lubricant to avoid disaster.
In fact, what she didn't know was that Li Shimin was not willing to do this, but the cerebral hemorrhage frightened him.
If he suddenly fell ill and died suddenly, how could Li Chengqian rely on him to restrain the arrogant generals in the court?
So since then, he has consciously allowed Li Chengqian to get in touch with more government affairs, and even allowed him to appear in front of the army.
But this is not enough, the strength of the East Palace must be increased, at least to have a group of available people under Li Chengqian.
It is best for these people not to have too deep connections with the nobles to prevent them from joining forces to oust Li Chengqian.
The noble branch is a good choice.
As for the risks involved, there is nothing in the world without risks, and he is confident that he can control the overall situation.
…
After leaving Princess Tong'an, Chen Jingke did not send Xiao Sizi back directly, but took her to visit the West Market.
At this time, the Tang Dynasty was already a veritable celestial kingdom. The markets had all kinds of goods from all over the world, as well as all kinds of people and delicacies from all kinds of places.
The little girl was very happy and curious about everything she saw.
Chen Jingke was naturally not stingy. She bought everything she liked. She went shopping and bought a big bag full of things.
Naturally, various snacks and snacks are also indispensable.
The little girl is very smart, she only eats a little of everything, so as not to be too full and unable to eat anything else, and the rest will naturally go into Chen Jingke's stomach.
So after a while, both of them were burping.
Seeing that it was getting late, Chen Jingke sent her back to the palace. The little girl who was having fun was very unhappy, and her mouth was so pouty that she could hang a kettle.
It wasn't until Chen Jingke promised to take her out to play often in the future that he became happy again.
By the time he returned to Zixiao, the sky had darkened, the sound of the watchman could be heard faintly, and Wu Hou also began to drive away the pedestrians on the street.
Curfew is about to begin.
He was a little tired after running for a day. He wanted to go back and rest directly, but after thinking about it, he decided to go to Wu Shu's place.
Sure enough, she was still waiting for him to come back.
How does that sentence go? When you go home at night and find that there is a light left and rice in the pot, it is a great blessing in life.
Wu Shu was reading a book. When he saw him, he put down the book and said with a smile, "I thought you wouldn't come back tonight."
Chen Jingke sat down next to her and said: "I know you are worried, how could you not come back? Besides, even if you don't come back, I will send someone to tell you in advance."
Then he told her what happened today and asked her to check if there were any omissions. Naturally, there was no problem.
Wu Shu smiled and said: "Wang Fangyi's performance is indeed outstanding, and I am worthy of your high regard for him. But you want the prince to accept his cousin as his concubine to win over him. Is it worth it?"
Chen Jingke said: "I have very high expectations for him. Not only compared to the champion, he is at least as good as Ban Dingyuan of the Tang Dynasty."
Wu Shu was speechless and said: "What you said makes me want to see what kind of person he is."
Chen Jingke said: "If nothing else happens, he will come to Zixiaoguan as a guest in the next few days, and you will be able to see him then."
…
Wang Fangyi arrived faster than he expected, arriving early the next morning.
This surprised Chen Jingke. Normally, he should visit his old friends at home first and announce his return.
But think about it, I did something for Princess Tong'an yesterday and helped her, so it makes sense to come here first.
"Brother Wang, please." He was introduced into the living room and seated among the guests of honor.
Sure enough, Wang Fangyi said: "Yesterday, I really spoke out for justice, and I came here to express my gratitude."
Chen Jingke said: "Brother Wang, you are too polite. Speaking of which, we are not outsiders. We should help each other."
"Besides, Wang Xiuqi acted like this yesterday because he had a personal grudge against me. I should apologize to you."
Wang Fangyi said: "The visitor is a guest. If Wang Xiuqi dares to cause trouble on the anniversary of my grandfather's death, it is an insult to my family..."
The common enemy helped the two of them start the conversation better, and soon they turned the topic to interesting things in Beijing, and then talked about their life ambitions.
Chen Jingke made some indirect inquiries into his knowledge and found that he indeed had real talent and learning. It was not convenient to examine his martial arts, but he could feel full of confidence from his tone.
This made him feel even more reassured. Indeed, few of the big guys who could leave their names in history were simple.
After all, this was their first contact and neither party had any in-depth discussions. They just touched on the topic. However, they both felt that the other party's temperament was quite compatible and they were a person with whom they could have a deep friendship.
After sitting for a while, Wang Fangyi said goodbye, and Chen Jingke sent him outside the gate before returning.
Wu Shu was already waiting for him in the living room.
Chen Jingke asked: "How?"
Wu Shu had just been hiding next door to observe. Hearing this, he nodded and said, "You have a good eye for discernment. You are indeed an outstanding person."
Chen Jingke said proudly: "I have no other skills, but I have a pretty good eye for people."
"Pfft..." Wu Shu laughed out loud. Seeing him glaring over, he quickly said perfunctorily: "Ah, yes, yes, you are the best judge of people."
